Split (2017)
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing M. Night Shyamalan's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- The original script for Split was written over a decade before production finally began in 2017.
Split is a 2017 American psychological horror thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film stars James McAvoy as Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man with dissociative identity disorder who harbors 23 distinct personalities within himself.
When three teenage girls are abducted by one of Kevin's more dangerous identities, they must navigate the terrifying landscape of his fractured psyche to escape before the emergence of a rumored 24th personality known as "The Beast" — a superhuman entity that the other personalities worship and fear. James McAvoy delivered a tour de force performance, seamlessly shifting between multiple distinct personalities — each with different physicality, voice, mannerisms, and emotional registers — often within single scenes. His portrayal was widely praised as one of the most technically demanding and accomplished acting achievements in recent horror cinema.
M. Night Shyamalan financed the film independently for approximately $9 million after Hollywood studios had largely written him off following a series of commercial disappointments. Split earned $278 million worldwide, representing a triumphant comeback for the director and validating his decision to return to lower-budget, high-concept thrillers.
The film's ending contained a reveal that connected it to Shyamalan's 2000 film Unbreakable, retroactively establishing Split as a secret sequel and setting up 2019's Glass, which would unite the storylines. Anya Taylor-Joy's performance as Casey Cooke, the most resourceful of the captives whose own traumatic past gives her unique insight into Kevin's condition, was another standout that helped establish her as one of her generation's most promising actresses.
